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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 120 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: cue · pass · hand · foot · kick · cell · nail · shower

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pass — a permit
  5. shower — rain
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. foot — a measure
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cell — in biology
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. kick — in football
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — for pool
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cell — a phone
  24. kick — with a leg

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