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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · cap · shower · pit · saw · kick

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cap — a hat
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pit — a hole
  9. shower — rain
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pit — in a race
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rash — on the skin

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