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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 120 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: cold · mouse · kick · wax · lie · stem · bore · nail

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stem — to come from
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. kick — in football
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cold — not warm
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kick — a thrill

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