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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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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: bound · rush · wave · shower · nail · saw · pitcher · wax

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. shower — rain
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — a thrill

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