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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. squash — the sport
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — a series
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. row — a line
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pound — a weight
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rash — hasty

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