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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · current · foot · file · wax · stem · object · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. squash — the sport
  4. current — happening now
  5. wax — to grow
  6. file — a line of people
  7. foot — a measure
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. squash — to crush
  10. object — an aim
  11. file — a tool
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. current — of water
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. file — a document
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. stem — to come from
  21. current — electric
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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