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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: lash · straw · wind · wax · lean · cue · bear · bass

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cue — a signal
  17. lean — thin
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. straw — dry grass

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