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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: straw · fan · bound · key · mate · lean · wax · current

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — happening now
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mate — a partner
  8. current — electric
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. key — in music
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. current — of water
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. key — for a lock
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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