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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: chip · perch · shower · trunk · rest · band · suit · plane

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. suit — in cards
  3. plane — a tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rest — what's left
  6. suit — to fit
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. suit — clothes
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — what's left
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. band — a music group
  19. shower — to wash
  20. perch — the fish
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rest — a break
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. plane — an aircraft

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