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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: charge · shower · chair · bore · bank · wax · stock · lash

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bore — to tire
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. charge — a price
  11. shower — rain
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. charge — in control
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. shower — to wash
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wax — for sculpting

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