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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cue — for pool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. shower — to wash
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bound — certain
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cue — a hint

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