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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 · can · wax · tear · club · rock · wake · ruler

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. can — a tin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. can — to be able to
  8. club — for dancing
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. can — a tin
  16. club — a group
  17. wax — to grow
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. club — for golf
  24. ruler — a monarch

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