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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. craft — boats
  8. face — to confront
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mug — a face
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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