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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bark — to shout
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. key — in music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. roll — a list
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. key — for a lock
  18. roll — a cake
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. safe — a strongbox

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