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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — a series
  17. pit — a hole
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. straw — dry grass

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