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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lean — thin
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. race — humankind
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wax — to grow
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. race — a contest
  19. ball — a great time
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. race — the arms race
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lean — to bend

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