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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. march — the month
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. drill — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. march — music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bore — to drill
  11. craft — a skill
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. key — in music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. craft — boats
  20. dip — to sink
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cue — for pool
  23. drill — army training
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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