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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: wax · mark · hide · band · club · trunk · nail · mine

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. band — a ring
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. club — for dancing
  10. band — a music group
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wax — to grow
  18. club — for golf
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. club — a group
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wax — in the ear

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