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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: mate · rock · band · cue · rash · ruler · arm · shower

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. band — a ring
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. shower — rain
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cue — a signal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mate — to breed
  22. band — a music group
  23. cue — a hint
  24. arm — part of the body

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