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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 ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. board — to get on
  10. cue — a hint
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. board — a committee
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. key — for a lock
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mate — to breed
  18. key — in music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — the most important part
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mate — a partner
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cue — for pool

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