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

Word bank: shower · bear · roll · swing · band · content · bowl · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. shower — rain
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bear — the animal
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. roll — a cake
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. swing — to play on
  20. band — a ring
  21. roll — a list
  22. swing — music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bear — to put up with

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