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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: board · rush · lean · wax · bark · straw · tear · mug

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mug — a face
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mug — a cup
  13. tear — to rip
  14. lean — to bend
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lean — thin
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rush — to hurry

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