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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mug — a face
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cold — not warm
  8. dip — to sink
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — in cards
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cold — an illness
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wax — to grow
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mug — a cup
  24. suit — clothes

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