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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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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: band · nail · bark · suit · row · shower · jam · wake

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wake — a trail
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bark — to shout
  10. suit — to fit
  11. band — a music group
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. row — to paddle
  18. suit — in cards
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. shower — rain
  22. row — a line
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. band — a ring

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