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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 116 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: bore · wax · sharp · shower · pound · object · deal · rash

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. object — to protest
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bore — to tire
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pound — a weight
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. deal — a big deal

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