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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cue — a signal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mark — a trace
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. plane — a tool
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mark — a grade
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. shower — rain

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