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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · plane · key · cap · rule · shower · season · pass

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. key — in music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. season — of the year
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cap — a hat
  11. season — in sport
  12. rule — a law
  13. cap — of ice
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. cap — a lid
  17. key — the most important part
  18. plane — a tool
  19. shower — rain
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. shower — to wash

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