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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. tear — from crying
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. tear — to rip
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. coach — a trainer

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