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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 116 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: pass · shower · chip · rush · last · kick · net · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rush — hurry
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. net — for catching
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. net — in sport
  9. last — to go on
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chip — to eat
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chip — for betting
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. shower — rain
  19. last — finally
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. last — final
  23. kick — in football
  24. net — after costs

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