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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · craft · rush · date · wax · pitch · hide · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rush — hurry
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pitch — completely
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wax — to grow
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. craft — boats
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bark — of a tree

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