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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. rush — hurry
  10. last — final
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chip — to eat
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on

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