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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · straw · press · shower · wax · rock

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. wax — to grow
  3. press — a publisher
  4. shower — to wash
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. press — to push
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. fall — the season
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. shower — rain

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