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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: cap · degree · pitcher · cue · spell · shower · lean · leaves

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lean — thin
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cue — a signal
  7. spell — magic
  8. cap — of ice
  9. degree — from a university
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cue — for pool
  12. shower — rain
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — a hat
  16. spell — letters
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. degree — temperature
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cue — a hint

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