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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pass — a permit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fall — the season
  24. fork — a garden tool

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