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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.

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: pop · can · pass · wax · straw · stick · coach · lean

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pass — a permit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pop — soda
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. can — a tin
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lean — thin
  24. wax — in the ear

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