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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — boats
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bound — certain
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. plane — a tool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bound — obliged
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bound — tied together
  23. craft — a skill
  24. hand — help

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