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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: wax · wave · chair · nail · season · arm · drill · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. drill — a practice
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. season — of the year
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wax — to grow
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — in sport
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. arm — part of the body

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