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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 116 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: rest · deal · tube · season · perch · sharp · wax · shower

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. shower — rain
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rest — what's left
  7. sharp — clever
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rest — what's left
  12. season — of the year
  13. shower — to wash
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. season — in sport
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rest — a break

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