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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. root — of a word
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — electric
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. root — of a plant
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. current — of water
  19. root — the cause
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. current — happening now
  24. fork — to eat with

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