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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 116 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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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: dip · bound · suit · straw · tube · stem · wax · saw

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bound — certain
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wax — to grow
  7. saw — the tool
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. tube — a container
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stem — to come from
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. suit — clothes
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. dip — to sink

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