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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fine — high quality
  10. object — to protest
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. object — an aim
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. object — a thing
  22. fine — all right
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bat — the animal

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