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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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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 · spell · rush · foot · bay · wave · plane · tear

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. shower — to wash
  4. spell — letters
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. foot — a measure
  9. tear — to rip
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. spell — magic
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. tear — from crying
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. shower — rain

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