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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · object · file · fan · lash · straw · face · march

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. file — a document
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. object — a thing
  19. file — a tool
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wax — to grow
  22. file — a line of people
  23. object — to protest
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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