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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ground — crushed
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wax — to grow
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — a position
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cue — a hint

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