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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: bound · deal · leaves · stick · pop · pass · shower · cap

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bound — certain
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bound — obliged
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pop — music
  14. bound — tied together
  15. deal — to handle
  16. shower — rain
  17. pop — soda
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cap — of ice
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pass — a permit

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