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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: wax · nail · sharp · mug · pit · shower · current · season

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. current — happening now
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. season — in sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pit — a hole
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mug — a cup
  19. season — of the year
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mug — a face
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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