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

Word bank: bowl · ruler · shower · root · bay · band · fan · wave

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. shower — rain
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. band — a ring
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. band — a music group
  21. root — the cause
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. root — of a word

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