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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: shower · plane · cue · fan · cap · band · rest · pass

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. band — a music group
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. band — a ring
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. shower — rain
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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