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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spell — a short time
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. firm — steady
  9. cue — a hint
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. firm — decided
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. present — the time now
  14. firm — a company
  15. spell — letters
  16. shower — rain
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — there
  21. spell — magic
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. snap — to click
  24. rush — hurry

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