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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: nail · bay · fine · march · bank · straw · land · wax

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fine — high quality
  7. land — ground
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. march — music
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. march — the month
  15. bank — of a river
  16. land — a country
  17. wax — to grow
  18. march — the month
  19. fine — all right
  20. bank — for money
  21. land — to come down
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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