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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 120 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 · bass · swing · plane · mate · calf · cue · rush

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bass — low music
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cue — a signal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mate — a partner
  7. shower — rain
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. swing — music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bass — the fish
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cue — a hint
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mate — a friend

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