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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: shower · wax · can · swing · mark · pit · lash · rule

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rule — a law
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. swing — music
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — government
  17. pit — in a race
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. shower — rain
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. swing — in golf

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