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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · cue · lean · can · spell · sharp

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lean — thin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. spell — letters
  6. lean — to bend
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cue — for pool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. can — a tin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cue — a hint
  16. can — a tin
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training

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