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

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — the season
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spring — of water
  9. rest — a break
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cue — a hint
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. tube — a container
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rest — what's left

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