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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 116 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wake — a trail
  3. board — a committee
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. wax — to grow
  9. charge — electricity
  10. prune — to trim
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bound — tied together
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — to get on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. straw — a straw man

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