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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: rule · shower · march · firm · mate · bore · wake · bear

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wake — a trail
  4. firm — decided
  5. march — the month
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rule — government
  9. march — the month
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. firm — a company
  12. march — music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mate — a friend
  16. firm — steady
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bear — the animal
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rule — a law

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