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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · row · trunk · roll · fine · bay · press · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. row — to paddle
  7. roll — a list
  8. row — a line
  9. shower — rain
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. press — to push
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. shower — to wash
  18. band — a music group
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. roll — a cake
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. press — a publisher
  24. row — a quarrel

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