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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lean — thin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rule — government
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rule — a law
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. calf — a young animal

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