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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: lash · straw · mouse · spring · cabinet · sharp · rest · wax

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — clever
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spring — the season
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wax — to grow
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. spring — of water

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