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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rock — music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bark — to shout
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. charge — in control
  15. sharp — clever
  16. drill — army training
  17. cue — a hint
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stem — to come from
  21. dip — to sink
  22. charge — a price
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rock — a stone

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