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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 · spring · bank · stand · bowl · wax · nail · wake

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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. wake — before a funeral
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. march — the month
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stand — to bear
  11. march — the month
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. spring — of water
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bank — for money
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. march — music
  23. wake — a trail
  24. spring — the season

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