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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. season — in sport
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. tear — from crying
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — in music
  15. wax — to grow
  16. key — for a lock
  17. season — of the year
  18. tear — to rip
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cue — for pool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cue — a signal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. calf — a young animal

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