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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 120 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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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: drill · pass · file · squash · pound · cap · bear · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bear — the animal
  7. file — a document
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. squash — to crush
  11. file — a tool
  12. shower — to wash
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. shower — rain
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bear — the animal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. squash — the sport
  24. drill — army training

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