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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: suit · lean · wax · straw · bass · chair · bulb · cell

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wax — to grow
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. lean — thin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bass — low music
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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