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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 · cue · clip · race · sharp · rest · mouse · bass

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. race — a contest
  7. sharp — clever
  8. clip — to cut
  9. race — humankind
  10. clip — a video
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rest — a break
  13. race — the arms race
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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