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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ground — crushed
  6. object — an aim
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. charge — in control
  15. object — to protest
  16. wax — to grow
  17. squash — the sport
  18. object — a thing
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ground — a position
  22. charge — a price
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ground — the earth

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