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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: rest · hide · fall · fan · band · stick · shower · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. fall — the season
  3. shower — rain
  4. band — a ring
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — to drop
  8. band — a music group
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — a break
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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