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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: shower · cue · snap · club · lean · hide · bore · ruler

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. club — a group
  8. snap — to click
  9. shower — rain
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lean — thin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. club — for golf
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. club — for dancing
  21. shower — to wash
  22. cue — a hint
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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