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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.

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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 · wave · kick · bass · plane · file · mouse · bay

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bass — low music
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. shower — rain
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. file — a line of people
  16. kick — in football
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. file — a document
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a tool
  24. bass — the fish

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