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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: wax · jam · face · dip · stand · nail · cue · wind

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. face — to confront
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. face — to point toward
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wind — moving air
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stand — for spectators

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