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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. march — music
  3. spring — the season
  4. cue — a hint
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wound — an injury
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. march — the month
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spring — of water
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. march — the month
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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