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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fall — to drop
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fall — the season
  16. cue — a hint
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. row — a line
  19. shower — rain
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. squash — the sport
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fall — to drop

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