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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 116 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 · fork · lash · mouse · shower · can · swing · degree

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cue — a signal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cue — for pool
  23. degree — temperature
  24. swing — music

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