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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.

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: mouse · leaves · present · wax · lash · bound · straw · chair

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. bound — certain
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bound — obliged
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chair — a leader
  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