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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 120 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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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 · fan · pitcher · shower · lean · pass · hand · lie

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. lean — thin
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hand — in cards
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to bend
  16. shower — rain
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — help
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rule — government

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