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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 116 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lie — to recline
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. swing — music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chair — a leader
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cold — not warm
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lie — an untruth

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