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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cue — for pool
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cold — not warm
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. shower — rain
  7. cue — a hint
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. mark — a grade
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. season — of the year
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cold — an illness
  17. last — final
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. shower — to wash
  22. last — finally
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rush — a thrill

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