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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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — for dancing
  6. tear — to rip
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ball — a great time
  16. club — for golf
  17. bore — to drill
  18. club — a group
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wake — a trail
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wax — for sculpting

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