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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.

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: can · shower · cell · straw · bass · dip · cue · leaves

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. shower — to wash
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. can — a tin
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. dip — to sink
  13. can — to be able to
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. shower — rain
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cue — a signal
  22. can — a tin
  23. bass — low music
  24. cell — in biology

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