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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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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: march · nail · wax · drill · stick · perch · foot · stand

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. drill — army training
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. drill — the tool
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. march — music
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. drill — a practice
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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