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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — to get on
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — a committee
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. chair — a leader
  24. sharp — exactly

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