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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 124 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: stand · drill · wax · season · nail · mate · club · mug

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mate — a partner
  3. drill — army training
  4. mug — a cup
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stand — to bear
  8. club — for golf
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mug — a face
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. season — in sport
  15. mate — to breed
  16. drill — a practice
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. club — a group
  20. season — of the year
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wax — for sculpting

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