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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 · wave · tear · tube · track · toast · firm · content

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — a song
  3. firm — steady
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. tear — to rip
  6. content — happy
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. toast — bread
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. track — to keep track
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. tear — from crying
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. firm — decided
  17. tear — from crying
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. track — a path
  21. content — the amount
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. firm — a company

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