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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.

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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: cue · wake · roll · object · pitcher · last · hide · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. object — a thing
  3. roll — a list
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. last — finally
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. last — final
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a hint
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cue — a signal
  22. last — to go on
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. roll — a cake

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