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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.

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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 · stock · cabinet · wave · bore · wax · nail · fan

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — shares
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. ground — a position
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fan — to cool the air

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