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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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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 · pitcher · wake · pass · rule · bound · mine · shower

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rule — a law
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pass — a permit
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rule — government
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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