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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. club — for golf
  9. toast — bread
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. club — for dancing
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. bulb — for light
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lie — to recline
  20. current — electric
  21. club — a group
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wax — to grow

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