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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: hand · shower · firm · rock · craft · cue · roll · rash

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. cue — a signal
  2. shower — rain
  3. roll — a cake
  4. hand — help
  5. rash — hasty
  6. firm — steady
  7. craft — boats
  8. roll — a list
  9. firm — a company
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rash — a series
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rock — a stone
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. firm — decided
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rock — music
  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