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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kick — in football
  5. charge — a price
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. charge — in control
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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