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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lean — thin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. march — the month
  5. track — a song
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. press — a publisher
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. march — the month
  15. cap — a lid
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. march — music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. press — to push
  24. wax — to grow

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