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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. season — in sport
  9. mug — a face
  10. rule — government
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rule — a law
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mug — to rob

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