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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: snap · cue · shower · charge · sharp · hand · mark · bear

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. hand — help
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. snap — to click
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. charge — a price
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mark — a grade
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cue — a signal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. charge — in control

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