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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. object — a thing
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. object — an aim
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rest — what's left
  9. present — a gift
  10. rest — a break
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. charge — in control
  16. tear — from crying
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tear — from crying
  23. object — to protest
  24. land — to come down

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