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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: press · wax · plane · can · shower · saw · game · file

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. file — a document
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. file — a tool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. shower — rain
  14. can — to be able to
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wax — to grow
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. can — a tin
  21. saw — the tool
  22. plane — a tool
  23. press — to push
  24. shower — to wash

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