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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.

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: spell · wax · rock · wake · straw · lie · mine · bowl

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spell — letters
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. spell — magic
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mine — for digging
  24. straw — a straw man

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