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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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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: cue · stick · wave · rule · wax · spell · last · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. last — finally
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spell — letters
  15. last — to go on
  16. cue — a hint
  17. shower — rain
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rule — a law
  20. spell — magic
  21. last — final
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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