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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: wax · bound · pitcher · bowl · saw · trunk · object · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bound — obliged
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. object — to protest
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. object — an aim
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bound — certain
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. object — a thing

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