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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: fall · bay · rush · nail · pass · shower · rock · swing

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rock — music
  5. shower — rain
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fall — the season
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. swing — in golf
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. shower — to wash
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play on

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