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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 · wax · straw · rule · kick · game · bass · board

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rule — government
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. board — a committee
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bass — low music
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rule — a law
  15. kick — in football
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. game — a match
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. board — to get on

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