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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
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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: mug · pit · staff · cold · wax · drill · nail · stand

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. drill — army training
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. pit — a hole
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. drill — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cold — not warm
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mug — a face
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cold — an illness
  24. nail — for a hammer

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