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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: rest · lash · pass · face · shower · rule · staff · pop

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rest — a break
  5. pop — soda
  6. rule — a law
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pass — a permit
  10. staff — a stick
  11. face — part of the head
  12. staff — employees
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pop — music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. face — to confront
  18. staff — employees
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. rule — government
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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