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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · cabinet · shower · spell · wound · hide · cue · fall

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. shower — rain
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spell — letters
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cue — a hint

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