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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — a tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. scale — in music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — to grow
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. game — a match
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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