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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bear — the animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. firm — decided
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. vault — a safe
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mine — an explosive

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