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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cue — a signal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cue — for pool
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fine — all right
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rush — to hurry

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