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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
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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: hide · race · bat · nail · shower · wax · row · fine

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. shower — to wash
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. race — a contest
  8. fine — all right
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fine — high quality
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bat — the animal
  15. race — humankind
  16. row — a line
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. shower — rain
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. hide — to keep secret

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