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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: ground · spring · lean · wax · march · mouse · nail · mug

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. march — the month
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ground — the earth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. lean — thin
  23. march — music
  24. ground — a position

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