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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. present — the time now
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. present — a gift
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. file — a line of people
  10. branch — a division
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a document
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wax — to grow
  18. file — a tool
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — there
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. lash — an eyelash

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