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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — happening now
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chair — a leader
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bark — to shout
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. current — of water
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. current — electric
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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