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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: nail · ruler · land · fall · chip · shower · wax · foot

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. chip — to eat
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — for betting
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wax — to grow
  15. shower — rain
  16. fall — to drop
  17. land — a country
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. ruler — for measuring

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