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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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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: pound · prune · shower · pass · wave · band · sharp · can

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. shower — rain
  2. band — a ring
  3. pass — a permit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pound — a weight
  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