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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wax — to grow
  4. root — of a plant
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mark — a trace
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. clip — a video
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. root — the cause
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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