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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 · nail · wake · chest · wax · stick · bore · safe

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bore — to drill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chest — a box
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wake — a trail
  24. safe — a strongbox

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