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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: straw · object · kick · cue · dip · shower · content · wave

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. dip — to sink
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cue — for pool
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. object — to protest
  11. shower — rain
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. content — the amount
  14. kick — in football
  15. object — an aim
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. object — a thing
  20. cue — a signal
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. content — happy
  24. straw — dry grass

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