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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. object — a thing
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. key — for a lock
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. object — to protest
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. spell — letters
  12. object — an aim
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spell — a short time
  16. key — in music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wax — to grow
  19. craft — a skill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tear — to rip
  23. craft — boats
  24. spell — magic

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