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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.

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: stand · straw · clip · kick · bulb · sharp · mouse · wax

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wax — to grow
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. kick — in football
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. clip — a video
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. clip — to cut
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. clip — for paper
  24. straw — a straw man

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