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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
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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: mug · fan · straw · last · wax · bay · fall · current

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mug — a face
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. last — final
  16. mug — to rob
  17. current — of water
  18. fall — to drop
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. current — electric
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wax — to grow
  24. current — happening now

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