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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. root — of a word
  9. pass — a permit
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. game — a match
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. craft — boats
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — a skill
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. root — the cause

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