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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 116 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: shower · content · nail · track · tear · staff · wax · craft

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. staff — employees
  4. content — the amount
  5. track — a path
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. craft — boats
  9. content — happy
  10. craft — a skill
  11. tear — from crying
  12. staff — a stick
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wax — to grow
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — a song
  18. shower — to wash
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. track — to keep track
  22. tear — from crying
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. craft — a handicraft

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