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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bass — low music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. charge — a price
  12. board — a committee
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. tube — a container
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. charge — in control
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bass — the fish

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