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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.

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 · hand · craft · ruler · stand · straw · charge · lean

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. charge — electricity
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. charge — in control
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. craft — boats
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. hand — help
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stand — to bear

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