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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fall — to drop
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. bound — certain
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bound — tied together
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bound — obliged
  21. branch — a division
  22. fall — the season
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. root — of a plant

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