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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: cue · wound · shower · stand · clip · tube · key · drill

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stand — to bear
  8. tube — a container
  9. clip — to cut
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. key — for a lock
  14. clip — a video
  15. drill — army training
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. key — in music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. clip — for paper

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