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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: can · deal · pass · plane · cabinet · tear · shower · wave

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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 — rain
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. can — to be able to
  8. plane — a tool
  9. can — a tin
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. tear — to rip
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. can — a tin
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tear — from crying
  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