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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: shower · mouse · band · cabinet · roll · ruler · game · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. roll — a list
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. band — a ring
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. band — a music group
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. shower — rain
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. game — a match

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