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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. clip — a video
  6. rest — a break
  7. shower — rain
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rest — what's left
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bass — the fish
  13. last — to go on
  14. bass — low music
  15. mug — a face
  16. cue — a hint
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. mug — to rob

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