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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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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: mate · file · snap · shower · perch · deal · stem · cue

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. shower — rain
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cue — a signal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to click
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stem — of a plant

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