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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: sharp · cue · hide · shower · fan · cap · tube · lie

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. shower — rain
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tube — the underground
  7. shower — to wash
  8. lie — to recline
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cap — a hat
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cue — a hint
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cue — a signal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cue — for pool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — a lid

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