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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: nail · wind · tube · cabinet · craft · wax · mate · ground

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wax — to grow
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wind — moving air
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ground — a position
  12. craft — boats
  13. tube — the underground
  14. craft — a skill
  15. tube — a container
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mate — a partner

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