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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 · ruler · wax · can · pitcher · clip · charge · wound

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — a price
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — to grow
  17. charge — electricity
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wound — an injury
  23. clip — a video
  24. pitcher — a jug

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