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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — all right
  12. mark — a trace
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pass — a permit
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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