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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 · wound · coach · content · shower · fan · ruler · pop

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pop — soda
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pop — music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pop — to visit
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. shower — rain
  15. wound — an injury
  16. content — the amount
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. band — a ring
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. shower — to wash
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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