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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: shower · wax · stand · pound · nail · mark · deal · hand

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. shower — rain
  8. hand — in cards
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mark — a trace
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hand — help
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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