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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 116 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — to shout
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. perch — the fish
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cell — in biology

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