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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: fall · bowl · wax · chip · shower · racket · bank · rush

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. shower — rain
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. chip — to eat
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — hurry
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fall — the season
  17. bank — for money
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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