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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 · lash · firm · cabinet · pitcher · straw · wind · current

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. firm — a company
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. current — electric
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. current — of water
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. firm — steady
  17. current — happening now
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. firm — decided
  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