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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lie — to recline
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. kid — child
  8. drill — the tool
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wax — to grow
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. track — to keep track
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — a song
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. track — a path
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wax — in the ear

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