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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. cue — a hint
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bark — to shout
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. firm — decided
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. firm — a company
  21. foot — a measure
  22. kick — in football
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. firm — steady

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