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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — letters
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mug — a face
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cue — a hint
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. spell — magic
  22. mug — a cup
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lean — to rest against

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