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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. net — for catching
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. shower — to wash
  8. band — a ring
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fall — the season
  11. net — after costs
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — the sport
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. band — a music group
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cue — a hint
  23. net — in sport
  24. pass — a permit

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