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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · nail · bark · staff · coach · land · pop · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. land — a country
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pop — to visit
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wax — to grow
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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