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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mine — for digging
  5. object — an aim
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mug — a face
  11. object — to protest
  12. club — for golf
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. object — a thing
  15. wax — to grow
  16. club — a group
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lie — to recline
  24. club — for dancing

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