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

Word bank: row · calf · shower · craft · band · tear · drill · wave

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. drill — a practice
  3. tear — from crying
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. row — to paddle
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. drill — army training
  10. shower — to wash
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. shower — rain
  13. drill — the tool
  14. band — a music group
  15. craft — boats
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. craft — a skill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tear — from crying
  23. row — a line
  24. tear — to rip

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