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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: firm · perch · shower · nail · jam · cap · wax · clip

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wax — to grow
  8. clip — for paper
  9. firm — steady
  10. cap — a lid
  11. clip — to cut
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. clip — a video
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cap — of ice
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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