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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: cabinet · bore · tear · last · scale · wax · shower · rush

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. last — final
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. last — finally
  10. bore — to tire
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bore — to drill
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. last — to go on
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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