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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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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: wake · shower · safe · toast · stick · deal · row · cue

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. shower — to wash
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — a trail
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cue — for pool
  17. toast — bread
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. row — a line
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. shower — rain

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