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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. drill — the tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — for pool
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ball — a great time
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. drill — army training
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cue — a signal
  18. snap — to click
  19. cap — a hat
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cue — a hint
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fall — the season

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