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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pit — a hole
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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