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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kid · safe · season · rule · pass · fan · trunk · rash

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. kid — child
  4. season — of the year
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rash — a series
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rash — hasty
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rule — a law
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rule — government
  24. season — in sport

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