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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 120 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mate — to breed
  3. tear — to rip
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. root — the cause
  6. land — ground
  7. object — to protest
  8. land — a country
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bound — tied together
  11. root — of a word
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. root — of a plant
  16. land — to come down
  17. bound — certain
  18. mate — a partner
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mate — a friend
  24. tear — from crying

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