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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.

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 · stick · wax · rash · stand · bass · plane · pitch

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rash — a series
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bass — low music
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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