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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.

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: wax · pitch · mate · straw · rash · bore · land · arm

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. land — to come down
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. land — a country
  11. mate — a friend
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bore — to tire
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. land — ground

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