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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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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: wind · arm · nail · bat · wax · mug · last · wake

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mug — a face
  5. last — finally
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mug — to rob
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wax — to grow
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. last — final
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mug — a cup
  24. last — to go on

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