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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: rush · kick · roll · shower · object · sharp · mug · cue

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. shower — rain
  3. mug — a cup
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cue — a hint
  6. object — a thing
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. roll — a cake
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kick — in football
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rush — hurry
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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