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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. shower — rain
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. key — in music
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. shower — to wash
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pop — music
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stem — to come from
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pop — soda
  24. drill — army training

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