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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: ground · track · clip · temple · staff · nail · wax · coach

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. clip — a video
  3. staff — employees
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. track — a song
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wax — to grow
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. staff — a stick
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. track — a path
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ground — a position
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. ground — crushed

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