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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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. pop — soda
  5. current — electric
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. current — of water
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. swing — to play on
  14. current — happening now
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. swing — music
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pop — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. swing — in golf

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