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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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bank — for money
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mine — for digging
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  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