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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: bear · fine · wax · bore · tear · plane · calf · dip

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. plane — a tool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wax — to grow
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — all right
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fine — high quality
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bore — to drill
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. dip — to dunk

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