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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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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. fine — all right
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. can — to be able to
  12. row — to paddle
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. ball — a dance
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. row — a line
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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