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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: ruler · cold · fall · pop · pass · plane · swing · shower

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — not warm
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pop — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pop — to visit
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pop — soda
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. plane — a tool
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pass — a permit
  23. swing — music
  24. cold — an illness

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