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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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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 · swing · safe · calf · pass · spring · present · rule

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. rule — government
  3. pass — a permit
  4. swing — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rule — a law
  8. spring — the season
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. shower — rain
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spring — of water
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. spring — a coil
  17. present — the time now
  18. swing — in golf
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — there
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. present — a gift
  23. swing — to play on
  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