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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. last — to go on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. last — final
  6. deal — to handle
  7. board — to get on
  8. last — finally
  9. bear — the animal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — to recline
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hand — help
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. board — a committee
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bear — the animal

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