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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · court · shower · bulb · tear · dip · object · kick

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. court — for sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. kick — in football
  5. court — of law
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. tear — from crying
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wax — to grow
  14. object — to protest
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. court — of a king
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. shower — rain
  19. tear — to rip
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kick — a thrill

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