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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wake — a trail
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. staff — a stick
  9. shower — to wash
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. tear — from crying
  17. shower — rain
  18. staff — employees
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. calf — a young animal

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