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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rule — a law
  4. scale — size or range
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rush — hurry
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. shower — rain
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — in music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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