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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wax — to grow
  12. shower — rain
  13. season — in sport
  14. firm — decided
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tear — to rip
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. season — of the year
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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