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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. shower — rain
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pass — a permit
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rule — government
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rush — hurry
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. shower — to wash

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