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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: fall · saw · straw · foot · nail · temple · charge · wax

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — to grow
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — a price
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. charge — in control
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. temple — side of the head

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