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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. last — final
  4. shower — rain
  5. kid — child
  6. rush — hurry
  7. kid — to tease
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. suit — clothes
  11. last — finally
  12. cue — for pool
  13. shower — to wash
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rock — music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. last — to go on

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