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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. tear — from crying
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. march — music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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