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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: hide · spring · cue · rush · foot · ground · spell · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. cue — a signal
  5. shower — rain
  6. spell — magic
  7. ground — crushed
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ground — a position
  10. spring — the season
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rush — hurry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cue — for pool
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. spring — of water
  21. shower — to wash
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cue — a hint
  24. hide — to keep secret

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