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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 is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. field — a subject
  15. mate — a partner
  16. field — for sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wax — to grow
  22. field — farmland
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. chip — to eat

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