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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — clothes
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wax — to grow
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. spring — of water
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. spring — the season
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wake — before a funeral

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