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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: jam · face · stick · can · land · wax · straw · lean

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. face — to point toward
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — to grow
  6. can — a tin
  7. land — a country
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. face — to confront
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. face — part of the head
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. land — ground
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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