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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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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: wind · bank · board · shower · mark · wax · stick · deal

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — to get on
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. board — a committee
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. deal — to handle
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mark — a grade
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bank — for money
  24. wind — moving air

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