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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: wave · can · cabinet · stick · firm · saw · straw · court

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. can — to be able to
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. court — of law
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. can — a tin
  9. firm — a company
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — of a king
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. firm — decided
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. firm — steady
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — a tin
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wave — of the sea

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