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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: shower · lie · roll · cue · sharp · game · content · wave

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cue — a signal
  10. content — happy
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cue — a hint
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. roll — a cake
  17. game — wild animals
  18. shower — rain
  19. roll — a list
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. game — a match
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lie — an untruth

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