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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. capital — a city
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. capital — money
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lean — to bend
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. face — to confront
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wax — to grow
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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