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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mug — a cup
  5. tear — from crying
  6. court — of a king
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. court — of law
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. shower — rain
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rash — a series
  18. mug — a face
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rash — hasty
  23. court — for sport
  24. mug — to rob

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