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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: shower · chest · pit · cue · snap · jam · lie · roll

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cue — a signal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. roll — a cake
  13. lie — to recline
  14. snap — to click
  15. cue — a hint
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. shower — to wash
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. chest — a box

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