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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
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 · fall · cell · rush · mouse · straw · wax · coach

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fall — the season
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pop — music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cell — a phone
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mouse — the animal
  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