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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: mate · wax · toast · row · wave · bowl · rule · shower

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rule — government
  3. mate — a partner
  4. toast — bread
  5. rule — a law
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wax — to grow
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. shower — rain
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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