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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. roll — a list
  9. staff — employees
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bass — low music
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bark — to shout
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tear — from crying
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wax — for sculpting

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