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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: straw · rock · wax · chest · shower · mark · firm · cap

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cap — of ice
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. firm — decided
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cap — a hat
  12. firm — steady
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rock — music
  18. firm — a company
  19. chest — of your body
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. chest — a box
  24. mark — a trace

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