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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: stick · squash · can · pass · rush · drill · shower · charge

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. charge — a price
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. squash — the sport
  13. charge — electricity
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. charge — in control
  18. can — a tin
  19. pass — a permit
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pass — to succeed

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