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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: shower · bank · mark · cue · perch · mate · tube · rush

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. cue — a signal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rush — hurry
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. tube — a container
  21. shower — rain
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cue — for pool

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