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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: nail · dip · wax · wake · bank · shower · pop · drill

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. drill — army training
  3. dip — to sink
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pop — to visit
  11. shower — rain
  12. bank — for money
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pop — music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pop — soda
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wax — in the ear
  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