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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: arm · cue · march · shower · rule · roll · can · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cue — a hint
  3. shower — to wash
  4. roll — a list
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rule — government
  7. roll — a cake
  8. can — a tin
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. can — a tin
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. march — music
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rule — a law
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. shower — rain
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. arm — part of the body

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