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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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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 · snap · game · mouse · bay · root · shower · lie

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. root — the cause
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. snap — to click
  5. shower — rain
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. game — a match
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cue — a signal
  20. root — of a word
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. root — of a plant
  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