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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: rule · rash · cue · tube · mate · perch · wave · shower

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tube — a container
  3. mate — a friend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cue — a signal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rule — a law
  13. shower — rain
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rule — government
  16. rash — a series
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cue — for pool
  24. perch — for a bird

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