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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: jam · wax · suit · clip · temple · nail · net · drill

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. net — for catching
  6. suit — in cards
  7. net — in sport
  8. suit — clothes
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. net — after costs
  14. drill — the tool
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wax — to grow
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. drill — army training
  20. clip — to cut
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. clip — a video
  23. drill — a practice
  24. jam — a tight spot

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