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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: leaves · shower · object · tear · racket · coach · cue · sharp

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. shower — rain
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. object — to protest
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. shower — to wash
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. sharp — clever
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. object — an aim
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cue — a hint
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. tear — from crying
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cue — for pool
  23. object — a thing
  24. cue — a signal

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