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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: lie · wax · rush · stock · row · race · pound · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stock — shares
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wax — to grow
  8. shower — rain
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. pound — a weight
  16. row — a line
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rush — hurry
  19. race — a contest
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stock — goods
  24. row — a quarrel

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