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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: object · shower · pound · bank · rule · rash · wax · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bank — for money
  5. object — to protest
  6. rash — a series
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bank — for money
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rule — a law
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rule — government
  18. shower — to wash
  19. object — a thing
  20. shower — rain
  21. object — an aim
  22. rock — music
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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