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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. shower — rain
  3. last — finally
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cue — a signal
  16. last — final
  17. scale — in music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rest — a break
  24. last — to go on

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