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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pop — soda
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pop — music
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bear — the animal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wake — a trail

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