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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 120 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: wax · rush · tube · straw · current · mate · saw · press

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rush — hurry
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mate — a partner
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mate — a friend
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. tube — a container
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wax — to grow
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. press — a publisher
  24. current — of water

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