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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: dip · ball · drill · can · roll · fan · shower · band

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. drill — a practice
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ball — a great time
  10. drill — army training
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. shower — to wash
  13. roll — a list
  14. band — a ring
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. drill — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. ball — a dance
  19. dip — to sink
  20. can — a tin
  21. band — a music group
  22. roll — a cake
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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