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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ground — a position
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ground — the earth
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rash — a series
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ground — crushed
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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