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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. hand — help
  9. scale — in music
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. wax — to grow
  13. snap — to click
  14. shower — rain
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. can — to be able to
  24. shower — to wash

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