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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 124 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. current — happening now
  5. lean — thin
  6. current — of water
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wax — to grow
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — in music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. key — the most important part
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. current — electric

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