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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. season — of the year
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. tear — from crying
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. land — a country
  8. tear — from crying
  9. spell — a short time
  10. club — a group
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. current — electric
  16. wax — to grow
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. season — in sport
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. land — ground
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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