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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 120 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: arm · spring · bowl · object · straw · bay · wax · swing

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. object — an aim
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. swing — to play on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. swing — music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. spring — of water
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. spring — the season
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. object — a thing
  23. swing — in golf
  24. spring — a coil

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