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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 · bulb · sharp · wax · lean · wound · object · foot

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. shower — rain
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bulb — for light
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. object — to protest
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wound — an injury
  17. sharp — clever
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lean — thin

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