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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 · can · drill · hand · perch · rule · shower · bound

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hand — in cards
  3. shower — to wash
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — tied together
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. drill — the tool
  11. shower — rain
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bound — certain
  14. perch — the fish
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bound — obliged
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — army training
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rule — government
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rule — a law

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