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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stem — to come from
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. board — a committee
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. band — a ring
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hand — help
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hand — in cards
  24. band — a music group

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