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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · bass · foot · bore · clip · bear · straw · squash

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bass — low music
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. clip — for paper
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — a video
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. squash — the sport
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bore — to tire

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