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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: saw · board · mark · firm · rest · march · shower · band

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. shower — rain
  5. rest — what's left
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rest — a break
  9. mark — a trace
  10. saw — the tool
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. firm — a company
  17. band — a music group
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rest — what's left
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. march — the month
  23. band — a ring
  24. mark — a grade

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