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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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · wax · pitch · key · rash · mine · straw · hide

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rash — a series
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. field — for sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. field — a subject
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. key — in music
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pitch — completely
  24. field — farmland

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