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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. row — a line
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wax — for sculpting

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