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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rule — a law
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. track — to keep track
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rule — government
  14. track — a song
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — a path
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wax — for sculpting

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