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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: wake · chip · rush · rash · scale · row · bound · shower

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rash — a series
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. scale — in music
  18. row — a line
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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