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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: wake · wax · net · nail · drill · spring · ruler · hide

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. drill — the tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. spring — of water
  9. wax — to grow
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. drill — a practice
  12. net — in sport
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spring — the season
  15. drill — army training
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spring — a coil
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — for catching
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wax — for sculpting

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