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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: mug · object · straw · drill · mark · wax · lean · pitcher

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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. mark — to pay attention
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lean — thin
  8. mug — a cup
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lean — to bend
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mug — a face
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. mug — to rob
  21. object — an aim
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. straw — dry grass

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