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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. march — the month
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. suit — clothes
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. wake — a trail
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. march — the month
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. suit — to fit
  22. current — of water
  23. wax — to grow
  24. march — music

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