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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. snap — to click
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rule — government
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rule — a law
  14. cue — a signal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cue — for pool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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