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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: shower · squash · hand · stand · wake · band · fine · temple

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. hand — help
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fine — high quality
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fine — all right
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. band — a music group
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — in cards
  21. shower — rain
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. shower — to wash

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