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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: wax · row · track · nail · fall · band · snap · drill

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fall — the season
  3. track — a song
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — a path
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. row — to paddle
  9. track — to keep track
  10. drill — a practice
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a music group
  13. drill — army training
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wax — to grow
  19. band — a ring
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. drill — the tool
  23. row — a line
  24. snap — to click

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