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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chest — a box
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. chest — of your body
  15. root — the cause
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chest — of your body
  23. tear — from crying
  24. root — of a word

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