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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
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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: wake · drill · toast · ground · nail · mate · wax · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ground — a position
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wax — to grow
  10. toast — bread
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mate — to breed
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. drill — army training
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. straw — a straw man

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