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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fall — to drop
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. kick — in football
  7. wax — to grow
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fall — the season
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tear — to rip
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. toast — bread
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bulb — of a plant

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