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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. land — ground
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pop — to visit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. race — humankind
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. hand — help
  17. land — a country
  18. pop — music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. race — a contest
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — soda

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