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

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bank — of a river
  6. march — music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bank — for money
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. march — the month
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. kid — to tease
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — low music

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