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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. spell — letters
  5. cue — for pool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. season — in sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — magic
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bark — to shout
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cue — a hint
  21. season — of the year
  22. face — to confront
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. face — to point toward

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