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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.

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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wind — moving air
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rash — hasty
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rash — a series
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wax — to grow
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mate — a partner
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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