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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — employees
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. shower — rain
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. staff — employees
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. nail — on a finger

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