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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — to crush
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stem — to come from
  13. drill — army training
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. nail — on a finger

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