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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 120 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: temple · track · bore · wax · file · nail · root · chest

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. file — a tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. root — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. track — a song
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. root — the cause
  18. file — a document
  19. wax — to grow
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. track — a path
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. track — to keep track
  24. root — of a word

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