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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: bay · chair · wound · rash · wax · file · nail · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — a leader
  5. file — a tool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rash — a series
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a document
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bay — a horse colour

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