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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
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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 · straw · drill · bay · date · file · pop · object

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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 — to clutch at straws
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pop — to visit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pop — music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. file — a document
  16. object — a thing
  17. file — a tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. drill — army training
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pop — soda
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  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