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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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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rule — a law
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. band — a music group
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. band — a ring
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rule — government
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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