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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: lie · band · track · shower · cabinet · rash · capital · date

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lie — to recline
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — rain
  7. track — a song
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. band — a ring
  13. track — a path
  14. band — a music group
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. capital — money
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rash — hasty

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