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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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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: rush · face · dip · can · shower · pass · branch · land

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pass — a permit
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. can — a tin
  5. land — a country
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rush — hurry
  8. land — ground
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. face — to confront
  15. land — to come down
  16. shower — rain
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. can — to be able to
  21. face — to point toward
  22. branch — a division
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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