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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bank — for money
  3. wax — to grow
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bank — of a river
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bear — the animal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tear — to rip
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bank — for money
  22. tear — from crying
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mine — belonging to me

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