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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: pit · wax · rash · stick · mouse · date · nail · tear

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rash — a series
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pit — in a race
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. date — on the calendar

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