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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. season — of the year
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pound — a weight
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rock — a stone
  18. season — in sport
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rock — music
  23. game — a match
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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