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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: spring · rule · fine · shower · cue · bulb · craft · mug

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rule — government
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spring — of water
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — boats
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fine — high quality
  21. craft — a skill
  22. spring — the season
  23. fine — all right
  24. rule — a law

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