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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: spell · current · tube · wind · wax · bay · cue · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. current — of water
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wax — to grow
  14. current — happening now
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. current — electric
  17. tube — a container
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — letters
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. spell — a short time
  23. shower — rain
  24. spell — magic

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