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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 · wax · key · stick · face · straw · mate · current

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — in music
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wax — to grow
  8. key — for a lock
  9. face — to point toward
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mate — a partner
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. current — happening now
  17. face — to confront
  18. current — of water
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — a friend
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — electric
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wax — for sculpting

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