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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: cue · bound · bank · lean · last · mate · shower · rush

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. shower — rain
  4. last — final
  5. cue — a hint
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bank — for money
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lean — thin
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — certain
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bank — of a river
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lean — to bend
  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