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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. land — ground
  3. firm — a company
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. object — an aim
  6. mug — a face
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. object — to protest
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. object — a thing

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