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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.

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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: tube · wax · fork · content · straw · patient · cabinet · swing

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. tube — the underground
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. content — happy
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. content — the amount
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — to grow
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. swing — in golf
  23. tube — a container
  24. wax — for sculpting

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