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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: pass · racket · rest · fan · bound · pop · shower · clip

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bound — certain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. clip — a video
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. shower — rain
  17. pop — soda
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — tied together
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  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