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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. firm — decided
  5. degree — from a university
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — steady
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. degree — temperature
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kick — in football
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. firm — a company
  15. wind — moving air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. degree — an amount
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. suit — clothes

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