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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · shower · band · mark · pitch · wave · stem · board

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rash — hasty
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. band — a ring
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rash — a series
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. shower — to wash
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. board — to get on
  17. band — a music group
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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