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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. deal — to handle
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ground — a position
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. straw — dry grass

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