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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cue — for pool
  3. content — the amount
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rock — music
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. content — happy
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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