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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. land — ground
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. land — to come down
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. wax — to grow
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tear — from crying
  20. season — in sport
  21. land — a country
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bear — to put up with

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