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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 124 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. game — a match
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tear — to rip
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. tear — from crying
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tear — from crying
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ruler — for measuring

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