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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.

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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: wax · ball · shower · trunk · lie · straw · can · bowl

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ball — a dance
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. shower — rain
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. can — a tin
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. can — a tin

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