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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 116 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. band — a ring
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. cold — not warm
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. club — a group
  9. last — final
  10. object — an aim
  11. last — to go on
  12. cold — an illness
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. club — for dancing
  16. last — finally
  17. object — a thing
  18. band — a music group
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — to wash
  22. club — for golf
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. object — to protest

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