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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rush — hurry
  4. can — a tin
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cue — for pool
  18. can — to be able to
  19. dip — to sink
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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