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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. key — in music
  6. craft — boats
  7. tear — from crying
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kick — in football
  15. craft — a skill
  16. key — the most important part
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. key — for a lock
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. object — an aim
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rash — a series

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