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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rest · hide · perch · craft · game · tube · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. craft — boats
  4. game — a match
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wax — to grow
  8. tube — a container
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — what's left
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. game — wild animals
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rest — a break
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rest — what's left
  24. perch — for a bird

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