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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · tube · coach · lie · bat · straw · jam · wave

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tube — the underground
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. wax — to grow
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lie — to recline
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lie — an untruth

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