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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: pit · leaves · bear · lie · wax · tear · charge · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pit — in a race
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rock — music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. tear — from crying
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — a price

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