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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. tear — from crying
  3. court — of a king
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fine — all right
  18. court — of law
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bear — the animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lash — to lash out

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