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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: rule · cap · hand · rush · pass · lie · race · perch

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. rule — government
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — in cards
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — humankind
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rule — a law
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. race — a contest
  15. hand — help
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. perch — for a bird
  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