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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hand — help
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. suit — in cards
  7. ground — the earth
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ground — crushed
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ground — a position
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. calf — a young animal

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