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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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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: row · nail · stick · club · wax · bay · pop · fall

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. club — a group
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pop — soda
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. row — a line
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pop — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — to paddle
  13. club — for golf
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. club — for dancing

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