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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 116 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: wax · bear · sharp · rest · tear · can · pitcher · fan

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rest — a break
  4. sharp — clever
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wax — to grow
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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