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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.

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: suit · drill · lean · rush · wax · tear · bear · lash

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. tear — from crying
  4. drill — army training
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lean — thin
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rush — hurry
  18. suit — in cards
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. tear — to rip
  24. suit — clothes

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