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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 120 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: fan · last · wound · hide · fine · wax · rule · shower

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. last — to go on
  3. shower — rain
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. last — finally
  6. rule — government
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rule — a law
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — final
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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