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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: wake · shower · rush · kid · foot · plane · wax · cap

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cap — of ice
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. shower — rain
  20. cap — a lid
  21. kid — child
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wax — for sculpting

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