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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rush — hurry
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. land — to come down
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fall — the season
  9. land — ground
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fall — to drop
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. current — of water
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. tear — from crying
  23. land — a country
  24. safe — out of danger

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