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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: wax · rash · chair · key · lie · tube · straw · calf

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — in music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lie — to recline
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. tube — a container
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. key — for a lock
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. straw — a straw man

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