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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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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: saw · wax · firm · band · jam · track · pitcher · straw

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. band — a music group
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. firm — a company
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wax — to grow
  15. firm — decided
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. saw — the tool
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. saw — the tool
  21. band — a ring
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. firm — steady

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