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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. scale — in music
  6. land — a country
  7. craft — a skill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. tear — to rip
  10. land — to come down
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. season — in sport
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lean — thin
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. land — ground
  18. lean — to bend
  19. craft — boats
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. tear — from crying
  22. season — of the year
  23. scale — size or range
  24. craft — a handicraft

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