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

Word bank: race · wax · tear · charge · suit · lean · key · deal

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wax — to grow
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tear — to rip
  8. race — humankind
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. suit — clothes
  13. key — the most important part
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. key — in music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tear — from crying
  24. charge — electricity

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