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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 116 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: object · shower · row · band · bear · fall · coach · ruler

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. shower — rain
  2. fall — to drop
  3. band — a ring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fall — the season
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. band — a music group
  12. object — a thing
  13. row — a line
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. shower — to wash
  17. object — an aim
  18. fall — to drop
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. row — to paddle
  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