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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: ruler · wax · swing · nail · row · fall · coach · stand

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fall — the season
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. swing — to play on
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. row — a line
  24. swing — music

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