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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bank — for money
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cue — a signal
  13. shower — rain
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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