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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: lean · wax · bore · shower · press · bulb · cabinet · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lean — thin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. lean — to bend
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. press — a publisher
  17. club — for golf
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. club — for dancing

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