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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.

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: capital · shower · hide · rush · fine · rest · band · rule

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. shower — rain
  3. rule — government
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rest — what's left
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. band — a ring
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fine — all right
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rule — a law
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rest — a break
  23. shower — to wash
  24. band — a music group

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