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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: pitcher · band · spell · safe · shower · rest · bear · stem

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — to wash
  4. spell — magic
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a music group
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — letters
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. shower — rain
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rest — a break
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — a short time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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