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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · sharp · cabinet · cell · calf · mark · wax · nail

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — a grade
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cell — in biology
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cell — a phone

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