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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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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. suit — clothes
  3. content — happy
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. staff — a stick
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pass — a permit
  10. staff — employees
  11. content — the amount
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. staff — employees
  15. suit — in cards
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. suit — to fit

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