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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: object · bulb · drill · net · pop · plane · band · shower

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. drill — a practice
  3. band — a ring
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. net — in sport
  7. object — to protest
  8. band — a music group
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pop — soda
  12. drill — the tool
  13. shower — rain
  14. object — an aim
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. drill — army training
  18. net — after costs
  19. bulb — for light
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. object — a thing
  23. net — for catching
  24. band — a rubber band

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