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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bank — for money
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fall — the season
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ground — crushed
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bound — certain
  17. ground — a position
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bound — tied together

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