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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: wax · firm · rest · nail · racket · bark · board · mate

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rest — a break
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rest — what's left
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rest — what's left
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. firm — decided
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — to get on
  17. firm — steady
  18. mate — a friend
  19. firm — a company
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wax — to grow
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — a committee
  24. bark — to shout

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