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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.

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 · straw · object · cue · fan · band · chair · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. band — a ring
  3. cue — for pool
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bore — to tire
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. object — an aim
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cue — a signal
  20. object — to protest
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. object — a thing
  23. straw — a straw man
  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