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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 120 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: ground · nail · cue · fine · wind · shower · cabinet · suit

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ground — crushed
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fine — all right
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. suit — to fit
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. shower — rain
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ground — a position
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fine — high quality
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cue — for pool
  24. shower — to wash

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