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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 120 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: pass · lie · shower · straw · tube · bat · cue · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. shower — rain
  5. tube — a container
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bat — the animal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. tube — the underground
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cue — a signal

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