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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · can · hide · bay · shower · wake · cue · bat

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. shower — rain
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bat — the animal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cue — a signal
  10. scale — in music
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. can — a tin
  18. scale — size or range
  19. shower — to wash
  20. can — a tin
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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