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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: drill · shower · bank · wax · saw · sharp · can · mine

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. shower — to wash
  6. sharp — clever
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. drill — army training
  9. bank — of a river
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. can — to be able to
  16. shower — rain
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bank — for money
  20. mine — for digging
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. saw — the tool

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