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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: dip · suit · shower · squash · hide · cue · wound · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wound — an injury
  5. squash — to crush
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. shower — rain
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. squash — the sport
  17. shower — to wash
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wound — an injury
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. suit — clothes

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