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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wax — to grow
  10. object — to protest
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. object — a thing
  13. fall — the season
  14. object — an aim
  15. race — humankind
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tear — from crying
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fall — to drop
  22. race — a contest
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ball — a round shape

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