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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. hand — in cards
  7. current — electric
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. current — happening now
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. current — of water
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bay — a horse colour

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