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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · straw · cell · stand · bass · bowl · hide · can

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cell — in biology
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. can — to be able to
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cell — a phone
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  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