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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rock — a stone
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. band — a ring
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hand — help
  17. rock — music
  18. band — a music group
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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