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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. can — a tin
  5. present — there
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cap — a hat
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. present — the time now
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cap — of ice
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wax — to grow
  17. present — a gift
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cap — a lid
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — to be able to

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