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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 124 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. race — a contest
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. staff — a stick
  5. race — humankind
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. perch — the fish
  11. shower — to wash
  12. staff — employees
  13. snap — to click
  14. rock — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. staff — employees
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. shower — rain
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. race — the arms race

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