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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 116 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: mouse · wind · wax · ruler · wound · straw · fan · dip

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wound — an injury
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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