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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: suit · saw · shower · rash · cue · fall · mate · drill

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fall — the season
  5. drill — army training
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. suit — in cards
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. suit — clothes
  14. shower — rain
  15. fall — to drop
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cue — a signal
  18. shower — to wash
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fall — to drop
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. saw — the tool
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rash — a series

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