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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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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: squash · mine · band · bulb · board · hide · shower · craft

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mine — for digging
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. board — to get on
  6. shower — rain
  7. band — a music group
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. squash — to crush
  16. board — a committee
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. band — a ring
  20. craft — a skill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. squash — the sport
  24. craft — boats

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