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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: object · stand · date · cabinet · wax · hand · hide · nail

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wax — to grow
  10. hand — help
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. stand — to bear
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. object — to protest
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stand — on your feet

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