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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rash — a series
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. march — the month
  13. kick — in football
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. march — music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. march — the month
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. land — ground

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