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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: fine · shower · pop · hand · band · ruler · bank · squash

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. shower — rain
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. band — a music group
  10. bank — of a river
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pop — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pop — to visit
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pop — soda
  24. fine — a penalty

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