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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a document
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — a trace
  14. file — a tool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mine — for digging
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rock — music
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wax — for sculpting

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