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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: toast · suit · wake · pit · cue · wound · shower · last

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wound — an injury
  5. last — final
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. toast — bread
  9. shower — rain
  10. last — finally
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. suit — clothes
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. last — to go on
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cue — a hint
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pit — a hole
  23. suit — to fit
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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