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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rule — government
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rule — a law
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. swing — to play on
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chip — to eat
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bat — the animal
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. swing — music

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