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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. firm — a company
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. firm — decided
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spring — of water
  18. wax — to grow
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. firm — steady
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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