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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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468
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: drill · track · wax · bank · game · leaves · nail · net

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. drill — the tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — for catching
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. drill — a practice
  8. track — to keep track
  9. game — wild animals
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. drill — army training
  12. bank — for money
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. net — after costs
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bank — for money
  19. net — in sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. game — a match
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. track — a song

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