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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.

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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: ball · straw · pass · foot · rush · nail · wax · season

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pass — a permit
  24. ball — a round shape

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