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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.

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: wave · fan · lie · shower · calf · lash · prune · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. shower — to wash
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — rain
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a ring
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wave — with your hand

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