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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: bank · saw · wax · hand · content · can · game · nail

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bank — of a river
  3. game — a match
  4. saw — the tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. content — happy
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — wild animals
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wax — to grow
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bank — for money

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