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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wax — to grow
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. charge — electricity
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. charge — in control
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bank — for money
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bank — of a river
  22. charge — a price
  23. bank — for money
  24. tube — the underground

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