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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · pop · rash · arm · key · shower · bore · rule

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. shower — to wash
  7. key — in music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rash — hasty
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pop — music
  14. bore — to drill
  15. shower — rain
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bore — to tire
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — a series
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rule — government
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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