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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. shower — rain
  3. season — of the year
  4. file — a document
  5. drill — the tool
  6. shower — to wash
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bank — for money
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bank — of a river
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. drill — army training
  17. season — in sport
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. drill — a practice
  20. suit — in cards
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bank — for money
  23. suit — to fit
  24. file — a tool

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