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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: fine · rule · rash · firm · pop · kid · shower · squash

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. squash — to crush
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fine — all right
  11. squash — the sport
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. rule — government
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rash — a series
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pop — music
  21. shower — rain
  22. firm — decided
  23. rule — a law
  24. rash — on the skin

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