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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.

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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: bore · ground · straw · wax · lie · rush · fall · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fall — the season
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bore — to tire
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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