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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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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: bowl · snap · wax · ground · perch · straw · ruler · net

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. net — for catching
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — in sport
  9. ground — crushed
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. ground — a position
  24. net — after costs

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