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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stand — to bear
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pit — in a race
  6. land — a country
  7. board — a committee
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wax — to grow
  11. tear — from crying
  12. land — ground
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pit — a hole
  15. land — to come down
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. board — to get on
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. sharp — clever
  24. deal — a big deal

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