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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · coach · wound · mouse · ruler · staff · wax · wake

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wound — an injury
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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