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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: arm · drill · stock · temple · shower · can · wound · wax

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wax — to grow
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stock — shares
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. drill — army training
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. can — a tin
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wound — an injury
  18. shower — to wash
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stock — goods
  23. can — to be able to
  24. temple — a place of worship

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