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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: shower · cabinet · can · wax · trunk · bowl · chip · lean

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — to wash
  3. can — a tin
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lean — thin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — to bend
  18. shower — rain
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bowl — to roll

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