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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: date · shower · saw · vault · leaves · stand · plane · wax

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. shower — rain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. shower — to wash
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stand — to bear
  19. plane — a tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. vault — a safe
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wax — in the ear

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