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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 · nail · cap · lie · squash · ball · bound · bark

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bound — certain
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wax — to grow
  18. ball — a great time
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bound — obliged

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