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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: ruler · roll · racket · wound · shower · band · suit · pass

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. shower — rain
  3. roll — a list
  4. suit — in cards
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. suit — to fit
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pass — a permit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. shower — to wash
  23. band — a ring
  24. wound — an injury

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