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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 120 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: shower · land · bank · bore · present · cabinet · current · wax

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. land — to come down
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. present — there
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. land — ground
  8. current — happening now
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. land — a country
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. present — a gift
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bank — of a river

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