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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
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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: shower · craft · rash · cue · pitcher · bear · clip · toast

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. cue — a signal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. craft — boats
  6. toast — bread
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. shower — rain
  10. clip — a video
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cue — for pool
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. shower — to wash
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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