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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
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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: row · rash · perch · plane · shower · wax · ruler · court

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. court — of law
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rash — hasty
  7. shower — to wash
  8. row — a line
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. court — of a king
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. shower — rain
  19. rash — a series
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. plane — a tool
  22. row — to paddle
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. court — for sport

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