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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.

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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spring — of water
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bank — for money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cue — a hint
  19. spring — the season
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. bark — to shout

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