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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 · arm · leaves · wax · bay · squash · rest · tube

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wax — to grow
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rest — what's left
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — the underground
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rest — a break
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tube — a container
  20. rest — what's left
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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