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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: straw · cabinet · shower · wake · content · object · wax · charge

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. object — a thing
  5. charge — in control
  6. content — the amount
  7. charge — electricity
  8. shower — rain
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — to grow
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. charge — a price
  15. object — an aim
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. content — happy
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. object — to protest

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