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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: prune · mug · nail · bat · wax · saw · pop · coach

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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 — to grow
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bat — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a face
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pop — to visit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pop — music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pop — soda

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