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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: wind · deal · bore · wax · straw · pitch · lash · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wax — to grow
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pitch — completely
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wind — moving air
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. shower — to wash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wax — for sculpting

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