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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: cabinet · pitcher · rush · shower · plane · rule · swing · date

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rush — hurry
  17. shower — rain
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. plane — in geometry

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