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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · saw · march · clip · shower · bank · toast · hide

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wax — to grow
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. march — music
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. shower — rain
  8. toast — bread
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bank — for money
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. march — the month
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. march — the month
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. clip — to cut

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