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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cue — a hint
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cue — a signal
  8. firm — steady
  9. club — a group
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — for pool
  13. firm — a company
  14. wound — an injury
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wax — to grow
  17. firm — decided
  18. club — for dancing
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — for golf

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