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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: stand · cabinet · lie · plane · wax · kid · cue · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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 — a straw man
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. kid — child
  17. cue — a signal
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wax — to grow
  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