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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 120 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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 — to clutch at straws
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wax — to grow
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — to handle
  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