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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mug — a face
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. branch — a division
  8. cue — a signal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rest — a break
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ball — a great time
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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