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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · object · leaves · temple · bass · kid · wax · shower

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. shower — rain
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bass — low music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kid — child
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. object — to protest
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bass — the fish
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. plane — a tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wax — for sculpting

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