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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. can — to be able to
  3. field — a subject
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. suit — clothes
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. can — a tin
  9. field — farmland
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. can — a tin
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. field — for sport

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