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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. shower — to wash
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. squash — to crush
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lean — thin
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. shower — rain
  24. lean — to bend

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