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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: pitcher · fall · shower · wax · clip · current · lean · foot

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — a measure
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wax — to grow
  11. current — electric
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. shower — rain
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lean — thin
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lean — to rest against

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