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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. spell — magic
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. present — a gift
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. spell — letters
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. spell — a short time
  22. present — the time now
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. present — there

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