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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kick — in football
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tear — to rip
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fall — the season
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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