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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. march — music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. club — for golf
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — the month
  11. club — a group
  12. march — the month
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. drill — army training
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. calf — a young animal

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