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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. shower — rain
  3. firm — steady
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. firm — a company
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. squash — the sport
  10. shower — to wash
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. firm — decided
  13. squash — to crush
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. band — a ring
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spell — magic
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. trunk — of a car

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