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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. cap — a lid
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mark — a trace
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cap — of ice
  9. key — in music
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mark — a grade
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. present — there

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