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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chest — a box
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. squash — to crush
  15. tear — to rip
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pound — a weight

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