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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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468
Word bank
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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — an aim
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bear — the animal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. object — a thing
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. craft — boats
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. object — to protest
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pass — to succeed

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