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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 116 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: safe · trunk · nail · ball · club · wax · hand · bat

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bat — the animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. club — for golf
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. hand — help
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hand — in cards
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. club — a group

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