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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: fall · shower · fork · roll · band · squash · safe · chip

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fork — in a road
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fall — the season
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. band — a music group
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. shower — rain
  21. chip — to eat
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fall — to drop

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