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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mate — to breed
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. land — to come down
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — hurry
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fine — all right
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mate — a partner
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mate — a friend
  20. land — a country
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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