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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: nail · leaves · chest · fan · pass · mark · cabinet · wax

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — a trace
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chest — a box

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