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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 · kick · leaves · mate · drill · shower · date · pitcher

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. shower — rain
  7. mate — to breed
  8. shower — to wash
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. date — the fruit
  14. kick — in football
  15. mate — a partner
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rule — a law
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rule — government
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. drill — the tool

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