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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. game — wild animals
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. toast — bread
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. game — a match
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wax — to grow
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. current — happening now
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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