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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mate — a partner
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cue — for pool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stand — to bear
  12. board — to get on
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. board — a committee
  16. last — final
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cue — a hint

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