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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mate — a partner
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mate — a friend
  8. row — a line
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. board — a committee
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. drill — army training
  14. board — to get on
  15. season — in sport
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wax — to grow
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. season — of the year
  21. drill — a practice
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cue — a hint
  24. drill — the tool

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