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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bound — certain
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. court — for sport
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bound — tied together
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. bass — low music
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bound — obliged
  16. tear — from crying
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stand — to bear
  21. firm — a company
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wax — to grow

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