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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. firm — decided
  3. tube — the underground
  4. firm — steady
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. tube — a container
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. firm — a company
  19. squash — the sport
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wax — to grow

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