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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cue — a signal
  3. club — for golf
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. club — for dancing
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. kid — child
  9. cue — a hint
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cue — for pool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. toast — bread
  24. branch — a division

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