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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. race — humankind
  5. wax — to grow
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. race — a contest
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stand — to bear
  24. straw — dry grass

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