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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. shower — rain
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mug — a face
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. plane — a tool
  10. kid — child
  11. charge — electricity
  12. shower — to wash
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. plane — in geometry
  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