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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: file · shower · rest · wax · mark · firm · board · bound

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wax — to grow
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rest — a break
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — to get on
  13. bound — certain
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. board — a committee
  16. firm — steady
  17. mark — a trace
  18. firm — decided
  19. shower — to wash
  20. firm — a company
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bound — obliged
  24. shower — rain

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