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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. board — a committee
  8. ball — a great time
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ball — a dance
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hide — to keep secret

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