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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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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: rest · mouse · shower · cue · deal · sharp · lie · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rest — a break
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cue — for pool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — to handle
  18. shower — rain
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rest — what's left

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