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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cap — a lid
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stock — shares
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — goods
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cap — a hat
  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