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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.

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: shower · sharp · ball · mouse · wax · game · rock · cap

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cap — a hat
  3. shower — to wash
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. game — a match
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. shower — rain
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rock — music
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mouse — for a computer

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