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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 120 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 · rest · suit · tear · ball · bowl · rush · band

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rock — music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rest — a break
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. band — a ring
  18. rock — a stone
  19. band — a music group
  20. suit — to fit
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rest — what's left
  24. suit — in cards

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