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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 · rock · can · toast · file · cap · object · wax

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. file — a line of people
  5. toast — bread
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rock — a stone
  8. can — a tin
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rock — music
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. file — a tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. shower — rain
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. file — a document
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. can — a tin
  23. object — an aim
  24. can — to be able to

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