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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 · pass · stick · vault · lean · straw · pop · current

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pop — soda
  10. wax — to grow
  11. current — electric
  12. vault — a safe
  13. current — happening now
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pop — music
  21. current — of water
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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