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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · tube · shower · sharp · root · band · mate · mug

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. band — a ring
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mug — a face
  7. root — of a word
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mug — to rob
  10. band — a music group
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rest — what's left
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. root — the cause
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. tube — a container
  21. mug — a cup
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rest — a break

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