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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mate — a partner
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. shower — rain
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mate — a friend
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. staff — employees
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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