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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 120 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: spell · shower · wax · pass · drill · object · straw · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pass — a permit
  3. spell — a short time
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — magic
  8. drill — the tool
  9. shower — to wash
  10. drill — army training
  11. object — to protest
  12. spell — letters
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. object — a thing
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. object — an aim
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. shower — rain

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