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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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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: wind · bank · wax · hide · rest · face · shower · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bank — for money
  4. shower — to wash
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rest — a break
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — of a river
  13. face — to confront
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. shower — rain
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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