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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. wax — in the ear
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. shower — rain
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bank — of a river
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bank — for money
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bank — for money
  15. pass — a permit
  16. board — a committee
  17. clip — for paper
  18. board — to get on
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wax — to grow
  23. clip — a video
  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