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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rock — music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chest — a box
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pitch — completely

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