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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: shower · arm · firm · rock · wave · cue · band · charge

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. band — a ring
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. firm — a company
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. charge — a price
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. firm — steady
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. shower — rain
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. charge — in control
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rock — music
  22. firm — decided
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cue — a signal

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