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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 116 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. tear — from crying
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cue — for pool
  11. firm — steady
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wound — an injury
  15. capital — a city
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. firm — decided
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cue — a hint
  23. tear — from crying
  24. firm — a company

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