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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.

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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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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 · stand · lash · prune · content · wax · kick · key

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. key — the most important part
  9. prune — to trim
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. content — happy
  18. kick — in football
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. prune — to trim
  22. content — the amount
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wax — to grow

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