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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 116 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: shower · hand · game · rest · firm · deal · cue · saw

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. shower — to wash
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. firm — a company
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cue — a hint
  12. game — a match
  13. shower — rain
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. hand — help
  16. saw — the tool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hand — in cards
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. cue — for pool
  24. saw — the tool

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