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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wax — to grow
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. spell — a short time
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. firm — a company
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. firm — decided
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spell — letters
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spell — magic
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. firm — steady
  23. vault — a safe
  24. temple — a place of worship

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