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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rock — music
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. drill — the tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cue — a hint
  11. face — to confront
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. drill — army training
  19. rock — a stone
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cue — for pool

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