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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: bay · tear · net · cue · pit · mug · shower · wave

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cue — a signal
  4. net — for catching
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pit — a hole
  9. net — after costs
  10. shower — rain
  11. mug — a face
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. tear — from crying
  19. net — in sport
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mug — a cup
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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