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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 120 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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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: pass · band · bay · wake · perch · arm · shower · rule

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pass — a permit
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. band — a music group
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. band — a ring
  12. shower — rain
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rule — a law
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — government
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wake — a trail

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