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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: plane · wax · wave · trunk · cap · cabinet · shower · rock

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. shower — rain
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rock — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cap — of ice
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rock — a stone
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cap — a hat
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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