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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: face · cap · ball · nail · ground · staff · wax · dip

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a lid
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ground — crushed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ball — a great time
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ball — a dance
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. face — part of the head
  18. staff — employees
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ground — a position
  24. cap — of ice

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