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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: tear · sharp · wax · scale · temple · pass · craft · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. craft — boats
  3. pass — a permit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. scale — in music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wax — to grow
  12. scale — size or range
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. craft — a skill
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pass — to spend time

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