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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. file — a tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a line of people
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. press — a publisher
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. file — a document
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. press — to push
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wax — to grow
  24. saw — the tool

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