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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.

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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wax — to grow
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pit — in a race
  9. track — to keep track
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. hand — help
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. hand — in cards
  16. track — a path
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pit — a hole
  19. track — a song
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. clip — for paper

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