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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.

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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: wake · wave · cue · wound · snap · shower · drill · ruler

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. shower — rain
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wake — a trail
  11. shower — to wash
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wound — an injury
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. drill — a practice
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to click
  19. drill — army training
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cue — a signal
  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