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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · nail · game · bass · perch · press · chip · craft

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bass — the fish
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bass — low music
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. press — a publisher
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wax — to grow
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. press — to push
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. game — a match
  24. craft — boats

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