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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: pit · arm · nail · plane · wax · drill · cabinet · chest

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pit — in a race
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. drill — the tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. drill — army training
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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