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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: wax · face · ruler · band · lash · season · straw · trunk

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. season — of the year
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. season — in sport
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. face — to point toward
  17. band — a ring
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. face — to confront
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a music group
  23. wax — to grow
  24. face — part of the head

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