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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: wax · deal · drill · rule · nail · safe · ground · stock

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rule — a law
  4. ground — a position
  5. drill — a practice
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stock — shares
  8. drill — the tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. drill — army training
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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