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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.

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: wax · pit · track · fan · object · dip · shower · tear

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. object — a thing
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. tear — from crying
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. object — an aim
  9. shower — rain
  10. object — to protest
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pit — in a race
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. track — a song
  24. wax — in the ear

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