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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 · nail · tube · band · spell · cap · pass · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. band — a music group
  5. cap — a lid
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. spell — letters
  13. cap — a hat
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pass — a permit
  21. band — a ring
  22. cap — of ice
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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