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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fall — to drop
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fall — the season
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. staff — employees
  15. season — in sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. staff — employees
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fork — in a road

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