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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. snap — to click
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. shower — rain
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hand — help
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. deal — to handle
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. chair — a leader
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. shower — to wash
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cue — a hint
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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