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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: nail · field · leaves · wax · safe · rest · spring · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. field — a subject
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. field — farmland
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spring — the season
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — a grade
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rest — a break
  24. field — for sport

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