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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.

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: straw · stand · wax · bear · rock · leaves · rash · ruler

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rock — a stone
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rock — music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rash — a series
  24. bear — the animal

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