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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. band — a music group
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bank — for money
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bank — for money
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. shower — to wash
  19. band — a ring
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bass — low music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fan — a supporter

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