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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mug — to rob
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mug — a face
  13. bear — the animal
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. sharp — with an edge

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