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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. spell — letters
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cue — a hint
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cue — for pool
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chest — a box
  20. spell — magic
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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