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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: ruler · coach · club · shower · pass · bear · fall · mate

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fall — the season
  9. shower — rain
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. club — a group
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mate — a partner
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. shower — to wash
  24. ruler — for measuring

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