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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: squash · suit · drill · pass · rule · shower · hide · perch

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rule — a law
  3. suit — to fit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. suit — in cards
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. suit — clothes
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rule — government
  14. drill — a practice
  15. shower — rain
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. drill — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — the sport
  23. drill — army training
  24. shower — to wash

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