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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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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: content · nail · fine · lean · wax · stand · arm · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. content — happy
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lean — thin
  13. fine — all right
  14. content — the amount
  15. lean — to bend
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. nail — for a hammer

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