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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: bowl · stand · shower · rash · bound · date · ruler · hand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bound — certain
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rash — a series
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stand — for spectators

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