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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: fine · cue · shower · fork · hide · cap · saw · tear

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tear — to rip
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fork — in a road
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cue — a signal
  8. shower — rain
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. cap — a lid
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cue — a hint
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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