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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wax — to grow
  4. tear — to rip
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fine — all right
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — the season
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wax — in the ear

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