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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 · rule · face · craft · foot · march · shower · last

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. foot — a measure
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rule — a law
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. shower — to wash
  9. last — final
  10. pass — a permit
  11. craft — boats
  12. face — part of the head
  13. shower — rain
  14. last — finally
  15. march — the month
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. last — to go on

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