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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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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: snap · pop · rush · cue · deal · shower · charge · can

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. snap — to click
  3. cue — a signal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. charge — in control
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rush — hurry
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cue — a hint
  11. charge — a price
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — electricity
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — soda
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. shower — rain
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. cue — for pool
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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