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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: lie · shower · fine · plane · last · wax · ball · mouse

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. last — to go on
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. plane — a tool
  12. last — final
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wax — to grow
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ball — a dance
  22. shower — rain
  23. fine — all right
  24. mouse — the animal

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