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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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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: cap · rest · drill · fork · cue · cell · pit · shower

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. shower — rain
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cell — in biology
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cell — a phone
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cue — for pool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rest — a break
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fork — to eat with

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