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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pitcher · bound · file · rush · mug · craft · nail

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bound — certain
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rush — hurry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — to grow
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. file — a tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mug — a face
  20. bound — obliged
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. craft — boats

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