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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: pitcher · toast · rule · rock · last · mine · lie · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. toast — bread
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. last — final
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mine — for digging
  13. last — finally
  14. rock — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rule — a law
  20. last — to go on
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rule — government
  24. mine — an explosive

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