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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. season — in sport
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wax — to grow
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. scale — in music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bay — a horse colour

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