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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
468
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: wave · dip · march · scale · rest · bore · wax · shower

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. shower — rain
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rest — a break
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bore — to tire
  9. dip — to sink
  10. shower — to wash
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. rest — what's left
  17. march — the month
  18. scale — in music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wax — to grow

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