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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. suit — to fit
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wax — to grow
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pop — soda
  11. suit — in cards
  12. race — a contest
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. suit — clothes
  15. race — humankind
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rule — government
  21. pop — to visit
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pop — music
  24. rule — a law

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