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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 116 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: lean · current · dip · drill · shower · wax · march · lash

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. drill — army training
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. march — the month
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wax — to grow
  9. march — music
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. current — happening now
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. march — the month
  14. shower — rain
  15. drill — a practice
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. shower — to wash
  18. drill — the tool
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. lash — to lash out

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