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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: sharp · lash · shower · cue · plane · bass · wax · date

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. shower — rain
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bass — the fish
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cue — a hint
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wax — to grow
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cue — a signal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wax — in the ear

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