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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 116 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: shower · lean · pass · game · rule · cabinet · band · bound

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. band — a ring
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. game — a match
  7. band — a music group
  8. rule — government
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pass — a permit
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bound — obliged
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — tied together
  17. shower — rain
  18. rule — a law
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bound — certain
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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