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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.

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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. object — a thing
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. tube — the underground
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. object — to protest
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. tube — a container
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. object — an aim
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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