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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. tube — a container
  3. wax — to grow
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. key — in music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. suit — to fit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. key — for a lock
  24. prune — the fruit

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