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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cue — for pool
  3. shower — rain
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fall — the season
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. court — of a king
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. court — of law
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cue — a signal
  16. court — for sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fall — to drop
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cue — a hint

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