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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · cue · foot · tear · pitcher · shower · hide · mug

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. drill — the tool
  10. shower — to wash
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. shower — rain
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. drill — army training
  16. cue — for pool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cue — a signal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — a face
  22. cue — a hint
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. hide — animal skin

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