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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: ground · wax · rock · shower · fine · mark · bank · toast

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. ground — a position
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mark — a trace
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bank — for money
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fine — high quality
  14. toast — bread
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fine — all right
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bank — for money

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