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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chest — a box
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cue — a hint

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