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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 · rush · board · tube · wind · file · firm

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rush — hurry
  3. tube — a container
  4. shower — rain
  5. file — a tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. shower — to wash
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. firm — a company
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tube — the underground
  14. firm — steady
  15. cue — a signal
  16. firm — decided
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cue — a hint
  19. file — a document
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. board — a flat piece

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