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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: shower · jam · rush · pound · plane · pass · game · rest

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. game — a match
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. shower — to wash
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rest — a break
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — a tool
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pound — a weight
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rush — hurry
  23. shower — rain
  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