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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: hand · root · row · nail · mine · cabinet · wax · stand

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mine — for digging
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hand — help
  18. row — a line
  19. root — of a word
  20. stand — to bear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mine — an explosive

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