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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 116 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 · rock · band · clip · deal · wax · bear · vault

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rock — music
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. band — a ring
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bear — the animal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. clip — a video
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. band — a music group
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wax — to grow
  21. clip — for paper
  22. vault — a safe
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — the animal

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