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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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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. shower — to wash
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rule — a law
  15. shower — rain
  16. scale — in music
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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