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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. object — to protest
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bound — certain
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — an aim
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wax — to grow
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rest — a break
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tube — the underground
  20. object — a thing
  21. face — to confront
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bound — obliged

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