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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. land — to come down
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. plane — a tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. land — a country
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. land — ground
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hide — to keep secret

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