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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. spell — a short time
  5. plane — a tool
  6. spell — letters
  7. tear — from crying
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. tear — to rip
  10. charge — in control
  11. last — finally
  12. wax — to grow
  13. last — to go on
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spell — magic
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. charge — a price
  21. last — final
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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