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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. firm — decided
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. firm — steady
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. firm — a company
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wax — to grow
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. ruler — a monarch

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