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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wound — an injury
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cell — a phone
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. board — a committee
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. spring — the season
  14. rash — a series
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mug — a face

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