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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.

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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: foot · lean · bear · racket · wax · ball · snap · nail

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lean — thin
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lean — to bend
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ball — a great time
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wax — to grow
  24. nail — on a finger

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