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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pass — a permit
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. toast — bread
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. toast — the most admired

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