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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 124 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tear — from crying
  5. saw — the tool
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. spell — magic
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. spell — letters
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mug — a cup
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — to rob

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