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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. press — to push

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