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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · wax · toast · straw · mate · bay · firm · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. sharp — clever
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. game — a match
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. firm — steady
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. game — wild animals
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. firm — decided
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. firm — a company

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