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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
468
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: bound · dip · sharp · wax · foot · tear · plane · stick

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bound — tied together
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wax — to grow
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bound — certain
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — to sink
  24. foot — part of the body

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