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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: squash · last · can · pitcher · rule · bear · bank · shower

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bank — of a river
  7. last — finally
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rule — a law
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — for money
  14. bear — the animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. can — to be able to

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