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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: band · squash · season · shower · rest · pop · sharp · cue

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cue — a hint
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. band — a music group
  9. season — in sport
  10. sharp — clever
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pop — soda
  13. cue — a signal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. season — of the year
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. band — a ring
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pop — music
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cue — for pool
  24. squash — the sport

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