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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wax — to grow
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stand — to bear
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wind — moving air
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mug — a face

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