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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rock — music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cue — for pool
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — to crush
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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