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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: fall · kick · shower · wax · sharp · rush · bore · pass

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. kick — in football
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. shower — rain
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pass — a permit
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. shower — to wash
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fall — the season
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — to drop

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