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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: saw · band · wax · shower · prune · board · file · dip

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. shower — rain
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. file — a document
  12. saw — the tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. shower — to wash
  17. file — a tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — to grow
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. prune — to trim
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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