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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.

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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: stick · current · shower · face · rush · wax · plane · bore

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. current — of water
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. shower — to wash
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. current — electric
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. shower — rain
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. current — happening now

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