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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cue — a hint
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hand — in cards
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cue — a signal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. hand — help
  16. cue — for pool
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bark — to shout
  21. lie — to recline
  22. tube — a container
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bark — of a tree

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