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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: date · can · tube · rash · shower · rush · present · pit

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. present — the time now
  4. can — a tin
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. present — there
  8. can — a tin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rash — a series
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tube — the underground
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. present — a gift
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tube — a container

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