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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 120 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: board · straw · drill · cabinet · lash · lie · bass · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bass — the fish
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. board — a committee
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bass — low music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  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