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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. tear — to rip
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. track — a song
  6. net — in sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — for catching
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wax — to grow
  20. tear — from crying
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rock — music

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