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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: wake · date · cue · roll · safe · hide · fan · shower

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cue — a signal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. roll — a list
  17. cue — a hint
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. shower — rain
  20. date — the fruit
  21. roll — a cake
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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