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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: file · drill · march · rush · cue · shower · cabinet · object

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cue — for pool
  3. object — a thing
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. shower — rain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. march — music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. drill — a practice
  10. file — a document
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cue — a hint
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. march — the month
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cue — a signal
  21. march — the month
  22. file — a tool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. drill — army training

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