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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mate — a friend
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cue — a signal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rash — a series
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — hasty
  15. shower — rain
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. staff — employees
  18. mate — to breed
  19. staff — a stick
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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