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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fine — all right
  8. kick — in football
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cue — for pool

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