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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ball — a great time
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mouse — for a computer

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