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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: mate · prune · ball · arm · race · nail · wax · current

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — of water
  12. ball — a dance
  13. race — a contest
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. race — humankind
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mate — to breed
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ball — a great 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