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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 124 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pass — a permit
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tear — from crying
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. scale — in music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wax — to grow
  23. date — the fruit
  24. rash — on the skin

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