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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. cue — a signal
  3. present — the time now
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cue — for pool
  7. present — there
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lean — thin
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cap — a lid
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. present — a gift
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pass — to spend time

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