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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: wax · bulb · shower · board · squash · stock · file · craft

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. shower — rain
  3. craft — a skill
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. craft — boats
  6. squash — the sport
  7. board — a committee
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. file — a tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. file — a document
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. shower — to wash
  21. squash — to crush
  22. board — to get on
  23. stock — shares
  24. bulb — of a plant

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