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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 · temple · capital · spring · rule · shower · drill · jam

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cue — a signal
  3. shower — rain
  4. capital — a city
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. spring — of water
  8. cue — for pool
  9. spring — a coil
  10. drill — a practice
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cue — a hint
  13. shower — to wash
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. spring — the season
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rule — government
  19. drill — army training
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. drill — the tool
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rule — to rule out

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