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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 · staff · wax · suit · land · rock · arm · race

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. suit — to fit
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. staff — a stick
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. suit — clothes
  18. land — to come down
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rock — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — part of the body

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