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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · mate · pitcher · shower · chip · hide · rule · racket

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mate — to breed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. shower — rain
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rule — government
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rule — a law
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. hide — animal skin

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