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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: wax · kid · board · nail · wound · squash · club · straw

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. board — to get on
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. kid — child
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. club — a group
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. board — a committee
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. club — for golf
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. squash — the sport
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. squash — to crush
  22. kid — to tease
  23. club — for dancing
  24. nail — on a finger

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