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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. land — to come down
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cue — for pool
  10. land — a country
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cue — a hint
  20. land — ground
  21. cue — a signal
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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