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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. tear — to rip
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. net — for catching
  6. tear — from crying
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. net — in sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chip — to eat
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tear — from crying
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chip — for betting
  23. net — after costs
  24. arm — part of the body

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