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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. staff — employees
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bear — the animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. march — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mark — a trace
  24. march — the month

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