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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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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: leaves · fine · ball · trunk · shower · rule · last · wax

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. last — to go on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rule — a law
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. shower — rain
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rule — government
  17. fine — high quality
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. ball — a dance
  21. last — finally
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ball — a great time
  24. last — final

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