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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 · rush · pitcher · can · wind · wake · band · nail

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wind — moving air
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. can — a tin
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. band — a ring
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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