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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.

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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 · kid · wave · craft · temple · plane · arm · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wax — to grow
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. kid — to tease
  16. shower — rain
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. craft — a skill
  19. shower — to wash
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. kid — child
  23. craft — boats
  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