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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. net — for catching
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. net — in sport
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. net — after costs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — a permit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tear — to rip

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