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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pop — to visit
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pop — soda
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rash — a series
  8. pop — music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rest — a break
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fork — in a road
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wax — in the ear

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