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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: last · wake · tube · shower · season · nail · can · land

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. tube — a container
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wake — a trail
  10. land — ground
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — final
  14. season — in sport
  15. shower — rain
  16. last — to go on
  17. land — to come down
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. land — a country
  20. season — of the year
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. last — finally
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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