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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: bound · shower · pass · season · march · ruler · mug · patient

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. march — music
  3. season — of the year
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mug — a cup
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — tied together
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. shower — rain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mug — a face
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. march — the month
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bound — certain
  23. season — in sport
  24. patient — a sick person

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