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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 116 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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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: mate · straw · club · firm · wax · deal · band · cue

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mate — a partner
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mate — a friend
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. club — a group
  8. firm — decided
  9. club — for dancing
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mate — to breed
  12. firm — a company
  13. band — a ring
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. firm — steady
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. band — a music group
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. club — for golf

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