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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: tear · file · club · band · shower · cue · rush · firm

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. club — for golf
  6. firm — decided
  7. cue — for pool
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. shower — to wash
  10. band — a ring
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. firm — a company
  17. file — a tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. club — a group
  20. band — a music group
  21. shower — rain
  22. tear — to rip
  23. firm — steady
  24. file — a document

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