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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: cell · sharp · cue · roll · deal · race · fall · shower

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. sharp — clever
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cue — for pool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cue — a hint
  16. shower — rain
  17. cue — a signal
  18. race — a contest
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cell — a phone
  24. fall — to drop

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