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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. band — a music group
  9. shower — rain
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. band — a ring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. branch — a division
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fan — to cool the air

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