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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lean — thin
  4. rest — a break
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rest — what's left
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. present — there
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. present — a gift
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. deal — to handle
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. present — the time now
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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