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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. can — a tin
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. suit — in cards
  7. squash — to crush
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. shower — rain
  15. hand — in cards
  16. shower — to wash
  17. hand — help
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cue — for pool
  22. squash — the sport
  23. suit — clothes
  24. nail — for a hammer

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