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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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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: bowl · race · lean · trunk · kick · wax · shower · bear

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bear — the animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lean — thin
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. kick — in football
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. race — humankind
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bear — the animal
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. race — a contest
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. race — the arms race
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bear — to put up with

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