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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. board — to get on
  5. fine — all right
  6. pass — a permit
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wax — to grow
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fine — high quality
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fine — a penalty

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