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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. content — happy
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. tear — to rip
  9. can — a tin
  10. wax — to grow
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. firm — steady
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. branch — a division
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. content — the amount
  24. branch — of a tree

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