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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 116 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: hand · nail · stock · wax · fan · firm · bound · wake

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. firm — steady
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bound — certain
  17. firm — decided
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — help
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. firm — a company
  24. nail — on a finger

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