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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. charge — a price
  7. cue — for pool
  8. drill — army training
  9. charge — electricity
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rush — hurry
  12. shower — to wash
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spell — letters
  21. charge — in control
  22. cue — a signal
  23. spell — magic
  24. drill — the tool

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