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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: fine · rule · jam · rash · pound · toast · shower · lie

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. toast — bread
  3. fine — all right
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rash — hasty
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rash — a series
  12. rule — government
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. shower — rain
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rule — a law
  24. pound — to hit hard

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