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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · season · shower · plane · mouse · wax · race · nail

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. race — humankind
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. race — the arms race
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — rain
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. race — a contest
  15. season — of the year
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. season — in sport
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. plane — a tool
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bowl — a dish

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