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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 124 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. snap — to click
  13. wax — to grow
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. board — to get on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. prune — to trim
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — a committee

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