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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: nail · season · straw · band · wax · tube · stem · pass

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. season — of the year
  3. stem — to come from
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. band — a music group
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. band — a ring
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pass — a permit
  18. season — in sport
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wax — for sculpting

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