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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.

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: shower · staff · cap · roll · cue · temple · kick · suit

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kick — in football
  4. roll — a cake
  5. staff — employees
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cue — a signal
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. shower — rain
  15. roll — a list
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. cap — a lid
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cue — for pool
  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