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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. shower — rain
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mark — a trace
  5. drill — army training
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. shower — to wash
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wax — to grow
  24. drill — a practice

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