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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wax — to grow
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fork — in a road
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fine — high quality
  15. drill — army training
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — all right
  21. tear — from crying
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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