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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: game · arm · saw · nail · wax · cue · present · shower

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. game — a match
  6. present — a gift
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. shower — to wash
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. game — wild animals
  14. present — the time now
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. shower — rain
  20. present — there
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wax — for sculpting

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