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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: fine · nail · net · saw · kick · wax · pop · staff

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. net — after costs
  5. kick — in football
  6. pop — to visit
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pop — music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. net — in sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. staff — employees
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fine — high quality
  18. staff — employees
  19. net — for catching
  20. pop — soda
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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