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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: dip · rule · pass · leaves · shower · object

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rule — a law
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. object — an aim
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. rule — government
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. shower — rain
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pass — a permit
  18. leaves — to go away

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