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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. row — to paddle
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. row — a line
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. can — a tin
  23. bass — low music
  24. tear — from crying

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