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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: mouse · wax · mine · shower · suit · rush · saw · wind

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. suit — in cards
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wind — moving air
  18. shower — rain
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. shower — to wash

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