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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
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: wax · stick · shower · file · club · fan · mouse · plane

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. shower — rain
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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