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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: mine · track · firm · nail · arm · wax · safe · band

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. firm — steady
  4. mine — for digging
  5. band — a ring
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. track — a path
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. firm — a company
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. band — a music group
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. firm — decided
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wax — to grow
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. track — a song
  24. safe — out of danger

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