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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cue — a signal
  3. board — a committee
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. board — to get on
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kick — in football
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bark — 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