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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. cue — a signal
  2. fall — the season
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. band — a music group
  8. row — a line
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. row — to paddle
  23. band — a ring
  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