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

Word bank: shower · rule · cue · bowl · patient · rest

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rest — what's left
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rule — government
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rule — a law
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. shower — rain
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break

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