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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. tear — from crying
  5. object — a thing
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ground — a position
  10. key — in music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. clip — a video
  14. wax — to grow
  15. object — to protest
  16. key — for a lock
  17. clip — for paper
  18. object — an aim
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. ground — the earth
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. clip — to cut

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