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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lean — thin
  4. fine — all right
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fine — high quality
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. chair — a leader
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. tube — a container
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. straw — a straw man

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