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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: shower · deal · mouse · game · press · lean · lash · cue

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. game — a match
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. game — wild animals
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. press — a publisher
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. shower — rain
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. press — to push
  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