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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: rock · shower · wave · band · cabinet · present · trunk · pass

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rock — music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. shower — rain
  8. present — the time now
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — a gift
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. rock — a stone
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. present — there
  24. wave — with your hand

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