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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fall — the season
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bark — to shout
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. nail — for a hammer

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