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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.

Words on the sheet
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: nail · wound · wax · key · root · mate · craft · bark

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wound — an injury
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — to grow
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wound — an injury
  13. root — of a word
  14. craft — a skill
  15. key — in music
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bark — to shout
  18. root — the cause
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mate — a partner

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