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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. suit — clothes
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. suit — to fit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mine — for digging
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. leaves — lets stay

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