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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 116 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: mark · straw · wax · bound · stick · cue · lie · wound

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bound — certain

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