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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. foot — a measure
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wax — to grow
  16. tear — to rip
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. swing — music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. swing — in golf
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com