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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: pitcher · bulb · suit · game · lean · wax · straw · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. game — wild animals
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. wax — to grow
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. object — a thing
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lean — to bend
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lean — thin
  24. object — to protest

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