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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: march · nail · wax · roll · leaves · foot · toast · hand

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. roll — a cake
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wax — to grow
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. toast — bread
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hand — help
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. foot — a measure
  24. roll — a list

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